Signature style: I make convertible pieces with geometry and negative space—so much that you get a sizable piece that is reasonably priced while still feeling feminine and wearable.

Training, education, and design process: I got my undergraduate degree in fine arts, was a model for a while, and earned degrees in law and business—a graduate degree in law from Northwestern University of Chicago and an MBA from the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern. I worked in real estate development and owned a health club but wasn’t really happy. Then in November of 2004, I was aggressively mugged on one of the safest streets in Chicago, which made me realize that life is too short to do something I didn’t love. So I spent five years trying to figure that out, in between being a wife, mother, and doing a little stock trading for myself, before realizing that I loved jewelry. People told me I was nuts to start a jewelry business during the worst recession of our lifetime, but I knew the markets and that it was a great time to start a business—despite the high barriers to entry. Everyone who was already in business was carrying old inventory, so I got folks to work with me on a small scale because they had nothing else going on. I took some GIA classes in diamonds and colored stones and started sketching designs that are now made in the U.S., Hong Kong, and India.

Materials of choice: Sterling silver with black rhodium or 14k rose or yellow gold and 18k gold upon request.